32 pages • 1 hour read
Isaac AsimovA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Beginning with the story’s title, weather is a guiding motif that foreshadows the climax and contributes to the story’s overall tone. Mrs. Wright’s observations of Mrs. Sakkaro center on her reactions to the weather and Mrs. Wright’s belief that the woman’s fear of rainclouds is “odd.” The two families’ opinions of weather clearly differentiate them from one another: The Sakkaros live in mortal terror of a raindrop, while Mr. Wright refers to a “good rainy climate” (128).
When the families arrive at Murphy’s Park, the tone is set for a day of fun, “with a cheerfully bright sun in a blue, blue sky” (131), but thematically this turns out to have been only The Illusion of Perfection and Control. The changing weather mirrors the growing tension between the two families and within the Sakkaro family in particular: The impending thunderstorm is as “insistent” (132) on arriving as the Sakkaros are on leaving. As the storm approaches and the wind kicks up, Asimov’s shift to more narrative storytelling gives the impression that the Sakkaros are themselves holding their breath, and the rain falling “as though some celestial dam had suddenly burst” (133) brings about the story’s sudden climax and resolution.
By Isaac Asimov
Foundation
Isaac Asimov
Foundation and Empire
Isaac Asimov
I, Robot
Isaac Asimov
Nightfall
Isaac Asimov, Robert Silverberg
Robot Dreams
Isaac Asimov
Someday
Isaac Asimov
The Caves of Steel
Isaac Asimov
The Fun They Had
Isaac Asimov
The Gods Themselves
Isaac Asimov
The Last Question
Isaac Asimov
The Ugly Little Boy
Isaac Asimov
True Love
Isaac Asimov
Class
View Collection
Class
View Collection
Community
View Collection
Education
View Collection
Fear
View Collection
Good & Evil
View Collection
Jewish American Literature
View Collection
Nation & Nationalism
View Collection
Order & Chaos
View Collection
Safety & Danger
View Collection
Trust & Doubt
View Collection